The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) is a five day international symposium that provides state-of-the-art information on translational research in breast cancer both for basic scientists and clinicians who work directly with patients. The symposium's aim is to achieve a balance of clinical, translational, and basic research, providing a forum for interaction, communication, and education for a broad spectrum of researchers, health professionals, and those with a special interest in breast cancer to advance the work of fighting against breast cancer. The symposium attracts thought-leaders, academic and private physicians and researchers, as well as other health care professionals focused on curing breast cancer, to discuss and learn about new and late-breaking research including experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and pre-malignant breast disease, as well as new findings from clinical trials. The symposium also attracts young investigators by providing superior education and training opportunities for the next generation of breast cancer researchers. The symposium, now in its thirty-ninth year, is attended by a broad international audience of academic and private researchers and physicians from over 90 countries with an attendance of approximately 8,000. The scientific program consists of plenary lectures and mini-symposia by experts in clinical and basic research; selected slide and poster presentations chosen from the submitted abstracts; educational sessions, award lectures, panel and case discussions, a year in review and both basic science and clinical forums. The symposium is presented by the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research, and Baylor College of Medicine. The driving force behind this collaboration is the shared mission of the organizations to advance progress against breast cancer.